Field of the Invention--The present invention concerns methods for preparing pasta, pulses, grains and cereals in a microwave chamber and, more particularly, to "microwave-core-heating" such foods.
Description of the Prior Art--Microwave radiation can result in heating the core of a microwave-lossy, microwave-permeable article. In contrast, infra-red radiation heats the surface of an article regardless of its composition.
Microwave heating can result in heating the core of an article more rapidly than the surface of the article. Within a microwave chamber, the surface of an article loses heat to the cool walls of the chamber and to the relatively cool air within the microwave chamber. The core of an article (e.g., food) is not exposed to cool microwave oven walls and cool air, and accordingly heats rapidly.
The microwave-core-heating develops internal vapor pressure which drives contained water to the food surface where a surface blanket of moisture forms. The surface temperature cannot increase significantly above 212.degree. F. so long as the moisture coexists at the surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,431 describes microwave-core-heating and uniform three dimensional drying (for example, melba toast, a uniformly toasted product). A heat insulating, pressure regulating structure is described in that patent.
Prior art cooking of pastas, pulses, grains and cereals in microwave chambers have concerned:
1. Duplicating the normal cooking results which are customarily achieved with gas or electric cooking; PA0 2. Drying; PA0 3. Accelerating familiar cooking processes; PA0 4. Re-heating previously prepared food; PA0 5. Popping corn. PA0 1. An outer metal pot; PA0 2. An inner metal pot or metal rack having a perforated cooking surface fitted into the outer pot; PA0 3. A glass cover; PA0 4. An electric and thermal heat insulating coating protecting the outer metal pot; PA0 5. A condensation chamber between the inner and outer pots that is shielded from exposure to microwave energy. PA0 1. Pasta PA0 2. Cereals, Grains PA0 3. Pulses PA0 4. Rice, Seeds or Grains PA0 rice, wild rice, lima beans, black-eye peas, pink beans, chick peas, bean soup mixture, Roman beans, barley, farina, Cream of Wheat.TM., rolled oats, Wheatena.TM., Oat Bran, H-O Cream.TM. Farina, hominy grits, grits, lasagna, ditalini, conchiglie, linguini, mafalde, mezzani, small ravioli, spaghetti, vermicelli, ziti, Kashi.TM. and kasha. PA0 1. To microwave-core-heat dry food in a pile to a temperature high enough to cause browning of, at least, a portion of the dry food. PA0 2. To microwave-core-heat a dry food and then cook it by exposing the food to microwave energy in the same utensil. PA0 3. To microwave-core-heat and brown a pasta product, having one dimension one inch or longer, i.e., spaghetti, and subsequently, to cook the microwave-core-heated pasta in the same utensil. PA0 4. To employ a means, e.g., a fence, for containing dry food in a pile while microwave-core-heating the dry food. PA0 5. To apply edible oil on the surface of dry food pieces prior to microwave-core-heating the dry food pieces in a pile. PA0 6. To cook by microwave energy, in one utensil, a meat product and a core-heated pasta product.
Useful appliances for microwave-core-heating of food are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,990, 4,871,892 and 4,880,951 which describe a cooking kit including: